JasonH

Thanks, CA2OR, it's actually doing fine now. I was worried that it would react poorly after being attacked. I think frags are more sensitive than full grown corals. It's happy now - and look like it will regrown the killed section soon.

I saw a pic of your Season's Greatings - looks very cool. In a mature aquarium, I suppose it's inevitable that corals are going to grow into each other and fight it out a bit. I try to minmize the aggressive corals I keep - LPS are worse than SPS.

I had a hydnophora completely kill/eat a beautiful Stylophora, which sucked (even more for the stylophora). But that's my only complete loss from coral warfare. I don't have that hydnophora any more (threaten)

I met up with Ben on Sunday to trade as well. First, he waited for me since I was running late. Then, he said he would clean the pump he was giving me... but I think he spit-shined the thing. It was spotless.

Great trade.

Wow, Matt, I think that Fruitloop Acan is the prettiest Acan I've ever seen... good job picking that up.

I tried it and it doesn't work. DOH!

Benny, tell me more. What was your experience - what worked, what didn't?

All right - thanks all for the input. I'll give this a try tomorrow night. First I'll try the seltzer, then I'll try a fresh water dip. I'll take some pictures in case it works and I get him out.

If I get him out alive, he's free to whomever wants him.

If I'm wrong and there was no mantis shrimp... I will say it worked and I killed him and none of the pictures turned out (laugh)

have you lost any hermit's or snails lately?

Well, I think so. I have a declining hermit/snail population. So either my water quality isn't good and they are dying off, or something is killing them. My corals seems to be doing fine... so I leaning toward mantis.

But, like I said, I just saw the one quick glimpse. I'm not totally sure. I might have to spend a few late nights armed with a red light and some Widmer.

Ha ha - snowpunk, I'd hate to think about what it's cost me to feed that little *$&@% already. I didn't really consider the possibility that I had one until my fire shrimp disappeared - then I started watching much more closely.

But, your post is very much on point. If I have one, it's a small one. The hole it came out of was tiny - wide but narrow. It's not a big mantis (if it is one), but it must have been in my tank since day one - 4ish years ago.

Not sure I could get it entirely out of the hole with any kind of bait. The one time I saw it, it just came partially out of the hole to attack a hermit crab who wandered too close. When I moved the rock it was in, there was a sad little shell graveyard below it.

Club soda? Interesting. Like a whole bucket of club soda - and if so wouldn't that still kill it and everything else - or just some club soda in a bucket of mostly salt water?

Thanks for the feedback so far. I'd love to be able to catch it and give it away to someone who wants it - 'cuz I don't.

Okay - hard to imagine... but I think I have a mantis. Not that having a mantis is so hard to imagine, but if I do have one, I've had it for years and been oblivious to it - I got the rock 4 years ago and haven't added anything since that could have harbored a mantis. I think it's a small one. I think I caught a glimpse of it the other night.

I have heard some clicking before, but I'd look over and see my algae blenny pecking at something and dismiss it as that. And my snails/hermits don't seem to live very long... but how long do those little guys live, anyway.

But, like I said, I think I finally caught a glimpse of it the other night. If I do have one, it's pretty small and lives in a crack which has a small (like 1/4") opening.

So, Should I take the rock out and try to trap/kill the bugger - or wait until I can confirm the sighting? Are there small versions of mantis? It's definately not as big as others I've seen - like Peacock Mantis.

The guidance I've read is that if you know what rock it's in (and I do) to take the rock out and put it in fresh water - which will drive the mantis out of the rock. But that seems drastic as it will also kill everything else in the rock. Luckily, this is probably the only rock in my tank without some form of coral living on it.

I feel a little bad, though. It's not really the mantis shrimp's fault - he's just being a mantis shrimp - but he can't keep living in my tank (flame).

Or should I wait until I can confirm the sighting to take suck drastic action?

Sorry for the long post - appreciate any input.

Well, I don't usually think of Monti's as aggressive corals. I stupidly DOH! let my Pink Lemonade frag touch my sunset monti and came home to find about 20% of the Pink Lemonade gone. I've been nursing this thing from the smallest frag ever - I swear it was a single coralite when I got it from a friend.(sad)

Stylaster,

I'm about 4 months away from setting up a very similar system (4x2x2), so I will be very happy to watch yours develop. I had been debating two 250w or two 400w lights - so you've already given me a good third option with 2x250 + 1x400.

Looks like it to me. I'm no expert, so I'll let other weigh in, but the orange/yellow color with the red dot (head?) definately looks like it.

If the coral is new, maybe you can take it out quick enough to prevent spread. Dip it in Intercept. I don't think the Coral Revive kills red bug - or there is at least some doubt there, but that would be worth doing if you have any.

Can you keep it seperate after dipping? Intercept(Interceptor?) will kill the bugs, but there is still debate on whether it kills the eggs.

Very well said, Algae.

Hmmm... does that Rainbow Acan look anything like this:

If so, 1 please.

Edit: Thanks - figured it was a different Acan, but wanted to double check. And yes, way more than $20.

Well, I just got back from dropping the coral off at Rose City Aquarium. After hearing about Nick's shop on the forums, I had been meaning to get over to the east side to check it out, so I was glad he PM'd me about the coral. I have to say, Nick's a really nice guy, run's a really nice shop - I even met the famous (or infamous?) dogs - and they were very nice with my 21 month old daughter (whistle)

So, props to Nick. Everyone should go check out his shop - he's got a great new coral to frag for you (clap)

Thanks to everyone who PM's me regarding the coral. I will return PM's shortly.

I only have one chalice (Watermelon) and it extends it's feeding tenticles (or whatever they are) as soon as the lights go out. Not sure if that's common for LPS, but my favia is the same way. So I just wait :30 after the lights go out and feed every once in a while.

Taken quickly tonight with point-and-click. Taken under XM 10K 250W, no actinic, no flash.

I got a small frag of this a couple years ago and it has grown to cover the rock I put it on and is now growing onto another rock. I was thinking about fraging up the overgrowth to trade, but it's actually on a better rock - so I thought maybe one of the LFS's would want a good size colony of War Coral for propagation.

It's fully covering a small rock - about 3 1/2" round, I'd say the size of a baseball. I only have a macro pick on my work computer but will get a pick of the whole colony.

I was hoping to trade for a few LE frags (e.g. Oregon Tort, ORA). I already have Superman Monti, Sunset Monti, Watermelon Chalice, Pink Lemondade, GARF Bonsai, and Purple Monster - but that's about it.

Thanks, Jason

Great to hear they are doing better. I think the heaters were a good idea - 74* at night seemed a bit low. My tank is 78* at night and 80* in the day.

Also, how quickly are they turning white? Days? Weeks?

Are they bleaching/dying? Or is it more losing color - turning brown. If they aren't dying, are you still getting polyp extention?

Do you have a skimmer - didn't see one listed.

Looking good. I do like the tank/stand combo. I think upsizing will be a great choice in the long run. The smaller the tank, the harder to keep everything good - the chemical fluctuations are more extreme and any small glitch is harder to counter. The odds of a tank crash goes up exponentially as the tank size decreases.

If you add more liverock, remember to add it slowly or make sure it is fully, fully, (one more for good measure) fully cured.

Keep the pictures coming, the tank is looking great so far.

Beckie,

If you can't find any locally - here is an internet source. I have not purchased through them, so can't vouch for them.

If you do end up ordering, let us know how it goes.

http://www.marcorocks.com/

Thanks for posting pics. I agree with other comments about stocking levels, but sounds like you're making an informed decision there, so you can manage the risks. BTW, it's the same stocking I have in my 30 gal - 2 clowns and an algae blenny (3 fish).

My advice... get rid of the hydnophora. Looks like all of your other corals will get along, but the hydnophora is a coral killer. I used to have one when I first started with corals and it attacked a stylophora and wipped it out(sad). Hydnophora are very aggressive corals and fast growers. In a small tank, it won't be long until it grows into conflict with a neighbor.

Also, assuming that the list you included is a full list of your clean-up crew, I would get some more dwarf hermits - maybe twice what you have - and some cerith and Nassarius snails (maybe 5 each).

And yeah, I hate CBS - too aggressive - ditch that guy.

You're off to a good start, good luck with the tank.

Well, I certainly don't hold myself up to be an expert - so I could easily be wrong. Everything I've read on Cyano indicates that it thrives in low flow areas - and to increase or redirect flow to help. If you feel like you've got plenty of flow, than feel free to disregard. Otherwise, it seems the same contributing factors as algaes - excess nutrients, over feeding, too long of a light cycle...

Impur had a good point on the lights. I've read that MH lights in particular will increase the (I think) red light spectrum as they age, which feeds the aglae growth.

I've also read that even though your testing zero nitrates, that you're algae could just be consuming it as fast as it's produced - meaning you have plenty but are still testing zero. I don't know how likely that is, but thought I'd toss it out as well.